Thursday, 25 February 2016

Suffolk University is located in the heart of Boston, with the Boston
Commons at its front door. This distinguished university has a long
history of providing excellent educational opportunities with the all
the culture and amenities of historic Boston as a backdrop.

Suffolk
University was born when Gleason L. Archer was loaned the funds to
complete the study of law. In 1906, Archer opened the Suffolk School of
Law, which offered men the opportunity to work during the day and study
law in the evening, making the pursuit of education a reality for the
working class. Soon after, Archer moved the location of the school to
central downtown where his law offices were located. The move made the
school even more accessible to students and eventually led to
partnerships with both businesses and the government. By the 1930’s, the
school was the largest law school in the country.

The College of
Arts and Sciences was established in 1934 and in 1937 the College of
Business Administration (currently the Sawyer Business School) was
founded. In 1937, the three academic entities were merged to form
Suffolk University. The initial night school idea was eventually
expanded to include traditional offerings of part and full time programs
leading to a multitude of degrees.Teresa Susmaras attended
Suffolk University earning both a Masters and a Ph.D. in Clinical
Psychology. With her Suffolk education as a backdrop, Susmaras now
works as a clinical neuropsychologist at one of the largest medical
facilities in Wisconsin.

Saturday, 20 February 2016

The Wada test, also referred as the intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (ISAP), was nicknamed after the first doctor to perform the procedure, Dr. Juhn Wada. This test is carried out during an angiography and is used to assess the location of the language and memory functions of the brain.

During the test, each side of the brain is examined independently. In most people, speech is controlled by the left side of the brain; with the Wada test, doctors can determine which side of the brain controls this function in each individual. Memory is typically controlled by each side of the brain and the Wada test can show which side has a stronger memory.

The Wada test is completed while the patient is awake by injecting a barbiturate into one side of the brain at a time. While injected, the two sides of the brain cannot communicate with one and other, enabling doctors to test each side of the brain independently for memory and language function. Doctors use electroencephalography (EEG) to determine that the injected side of the brain has stopped functioning. Once this has been confirmed, a neurologist can conduct neurological tests. The Wada test is mainly used for epilepsy patients prior to surgery to determine which side of their brains are accountable for memory and speech functions.

As a neuropsychology resident at Rush University, Teresa Susmaras developed her interest in Wada testing while conducting the tests in the Behavioral Sciences Department. Since then, Susmaras has continued to develop her expertise and interest in this procedure.

Sunday, 14 February 2016

Teresa Susmaras eventually transferred her studies to the University
of Illinois at Chicago in her early years of post-graduate study. But
Susmaras time at Illinois State University, where she enrolled after her
high school graduation, was rich in the learning experiences which
assail the first-time university student.

Illinois State
University was founded in the town of Normal, or rather, the town of
Normal took its name from the original purpose of the institution: to
act as a ‘normal’ school, training teachers who would educate the
citizens of Illinois. Abraham Lincoln was the attorney hired to prepare
legal documents for the funding of the school. Its original name was
Illinois State Normal University, and it was first located in downtown
Bloomington, Illinois, at the state’s center. Eventually, the school
relocated to its current campus in North Bloomington, which promptly
adopted the name ‘Normal’.

The name of the university would change
twice more, to Illinois State University at Normal in 1965, and to
Illinois State University in 1968. ISU is the oldest public university
in Illinois, and continues today to turn out well-prepared teachers,
remaining in the top ten largest producers of teachers in the United States.
Illinois State, by the era of Teresa Susmaras’ enrollment, had expanded
far beyond its meager academic beginnings. Today ISU offers bachelor’s,
master’s, and doctoral level programs in the academic colleges and
research centers typified by the College of Applied Science and
Technology, the College of Arts and Sciences, The College of Business,
The College of Education, The College of Fine Arts, The Mennonite
College of Nursing, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC).
​

Saturday, 6 February 2016

Psychosocial counseling, a discipline for mental health practitioners
in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy and
School Counseling, is generally pursued after acquiring at least a Master’s
degree in the field. Teresa Susmaras did volunteer work in the clinical
setting of a domestic violence clinic, gaining hours toward her intern
requirements and simultaneously gaining valuable first-hand experience
with the manifestations of violent behavior.

Dysfunctions in
personal and social behavior prompt humans to seek out help from
psychologists specializing in the counseling arena. Psychosocial
counselors work in many areas of human endeavor: government agencies,
schools, therapy venues for individual and group therapies, and clinics
specializing in substance abuse, anxiety disorders and other behavior
and development issues. Emotional, social, educational and developmental
behavior is the focus of the counselor attempting to bring his academic
expertise to bear in the treatment of a multitude of human behavioral
disorders.

Counselors may work with domestic violence survivors in a variety of positions: volunteering as did Teresa
Susmaras in pursuit of early experience in the mental health field,
survivor shelter supervisor, as residential counselors who work with
patients on a daily basis and offer counseling and support, and as
mental health professionals in independent offices. Significant mental
health facility experience earns hours toward a certification in the
mental health field. Counseling experience can also advance one toward a
higher degree and licensure in social work, psychology and other fields
of endeavor. Dr. Teresa Susmaras complete a 40-hour certification
program years ago, enabling her to provide counseling to domestic
violence survivors.

About Me

Teresa Susmaras completed her fellowship training in clinical psychology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Her research into the origins of negative aggressive and impulsive behaviors may also contribute to new approaches to community psychology and emotion regulation, as well as more positive clinical placements, when appropriate. Susmaras’ domestic abuse volunteer counseling started very early on, during her formative years that took place during her undergraduate studies. Susmaras is accredited as a clinical psychologist in the state of Illinois. She will go on to work for one of the largest hospitals in the LaCrosse area.